Advantages

"It is Calvin Klein"

Disadvantages

"Too strong"

"Potent smell"

Sorry, no Obsession here.

Designed as a perfume to reflect obsession, love and madness fused together. Madness is quite clearly the right word.
An electric fusion of florals and oriental scents combined to make this a unique scent. This is part of the obsession range which I've always heard mixed reviews about.
Not to offend Secret Obsession devotees, but this was harsh and quite old fashioned for my taste, once again just my personal opinion.

Here's the crazy three-tier list to get you in the right frame of mind.

This was a free perfume to go with a promotion online on a Calvin Klein product.
The box is a depressing brown, with swirls of caramel coloured smoke fused through and looks quite 1970's. This was released in 2008 fronted by Eve Mendes, whose provocative campaign helped the buzz at the time.

The bottle is brown also like the box and quite genie like. It looks and feels glamorous and I was impressed with the impish bottle as it looks great. It has a retro feel and once again I would be happy to give this as a gift if they never opened the kid.

The scent when spritz is actually quite nice and elegant smelling but any more than that and it's very strong and sickly sweet.
I tried the spritz twice and that left a powerful scent.
I tried once and the initial scent was okay but don't be fooled once it sinks in it is very heavy and very deep smelling.
I tried spraying the air and walking through but then you get nothing.

Rose De Demasc as mentioned is one note I am not keen on it is very pungent for me and is actually the predominant note of the three followed harshly folowed by the nutmeg.
For me, this was too overwhelming especially when the heart notes kicks in.
Tuberose stuck out for me clashing with the Rose De Demasc, it is far too rich to mix with floral and oriental notes.
Last but not least the burnt amber was one that I didn't like either in this. I've had other perfumes with this note in and its been a favourite but within this perfume it finished me off.

I would say I would sit on the fence when recommending this fragrance and would difinately say grab a sample first and leave it all day before you splash out your hard earned cash.
I didn't pay for ths but it was retailed at £19.99 for 100ml, on my discoveries for this review Amazon is selling it at this price still.
I like Calvin Klein perfumes but its very hit and miss for me and I find I have a love / hate relationship with his perfumes as you'll probably find out over time.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Definitely not the nicest CK perfume I've ever used

When I went shopping with my birthday money in May I came across some Calvin Klein perfume giftsets in TJ Hughes, each one containing six small bottles of some of the most well known CK fragrances. When I saw they were priced at just £5, well, it would have been rude not to pop one in my basket as I've always been a fan of Calvin Klein. The perfume I'm reviewing today is Secret Obsession, an Eau de Parfum that I haven't come across before although I do recognise the shape of the bottle.

When I first sprayed it I wasn't so keen, I like sweet perfumes myself and this one has a slightly bitter oriental fragrance - but after several compliments on my choice of perfume I decided to train myself to like it, which didn't actually take long as it's such a quality fragrance that the tones quickly grew on me. You can see the bottle above, admittedly it's not the prettiest in my collection (the miniature is an exact copy of the full sized perfume) but it has a certain retro-80s look that I really like.

The first time I applied this perfume I couldn't really work out what was supposed to be in it; there's a distinct floral scent emanating from my skin but this is toned down by a fruitier scent, it actually comes across as a bit mashed up to begin with but after a few minutes the individual notes settle down and this is when the various different fragrances start coming through.

The floral smell I mention is jasmine, this being the most apparent tone within Secret Obsession. It's quite a strong jasmine and gives the perfume a feminine scent from the outset; I love jasmine usually but in this perfume it's overwhelmed slightly and doesn't seem as well blended as other Calvin Klein fragrances I've used. Tuberose and plum are also listed as being among the top notes, in all honesty I couldn't have picked those out myself but after checking on the brand website I can tell that these are the tones which are drowning out the lovely jasmine with the plum coming through as a fruity and fairly rich fragrance.

After an hour or so the jasmine scent starts to die away and is replaced by a more woody scent, the fruitiness remains which is a bit baffling to me as to begin with the fruity notes just didn't seem robust enough to linger as long as this. I'm glad they are still apparent though as it's this fruitiness combined with the woody aroma that has started to reveal itself which confirms Secret Obsession as an oriental inspired fragrance, rather than a run-of-the-mill fruity/floral/sweet perfume. A rather synthetic smelling burnt amber pushes to the fore of the fragrance during this woody period too; it's rich and warm smelling but in my opinion it's use in this perfume does cheapen it slightly as it doesn't seem as well blended as the other notes, it does work to soften an otherwise quite harsh fragrance (and also helps create the oriental scent) but I do think this aspect could have been done better considering the experience CK have in the perfume market.

It's the base of the perfume that I love the most as here a sweet vanilla fragrance comes through which (for me) transforms the perfume into something much more feminine. I actually only know it's vanilla because I checked the perfume notes on the website, the fragrance is a very smooth base which is so overwhelmed by the stronger aspects of the perfume that it simply comes across as 'sweet' rather than giving the fragrance a candied aroma as usually happens when vanilla is used in conjunction with less sweet notes. The woodiness lingers throughout the life of Secret Obsession so it never really gets a chance to become 'girly' but the vanilla does help to sweeten up the overall fragrance nicely.

I'd say this is a sensual and quite sexy fragrance; it has good lasting power and people have commented on my perfume literally hours after I first applied it. It's quite a harsh perfume to begin with, to the point where if I go anywhere near my six month old son within a few minutes of applying it the scent can make him cough! Despite the fact that it has such strong oriental tones Secret Obsession doesn't feel (or should that be smell?) dated in any way, it's great for nighttime wear as it has such a well-rounded and lasting fragrance. Then again, you can just as easily wear this during the day as it's not overpowering and the sexiness is automatically toned down by wearing it in a daytime environment.

I wouldn't say this is a favourite perfume of mine, it's one I like wearing sometimes though although I am slightly surprised by how cheaply blended the heart of the fragrance is. As I mentioned, mine is a small miniature bottle which came in the giftset but the actual price for a 50ml bottle is around the £40 mark. This is in line with the majority of Calvin Klein fragrances, but I personally don't feel this one has the 'specialness' to be priced as highly as other CK perfumes.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

see review x

A bit about Calvin Klein-------------------------------Calvin Richard Klein was born November 19, 1942 and is a well-known American fashion designer. His name is also a brand name of clothing marketed by his company, which was launched in 1968.Calvin Klein was also the first person that made a perfume that could be worn, by both male and females.Secret obsession was only released in 2008. There have been other obsession perfumes released including obsession and obsession night. But each has their own particular odour they are not the same.

The bottle and packaging-----------------------------------Now I did buy this as a gift set as I do find that they are cheaper from the site I purchase my perfume from. The gift set came in a gold box, wrapped in cellophane. The box was pretty easy to open once you got through the cellophane; I find that a pain but at least you know no one has tampered with it. In the box there was a 100ml bottle and a 15ml bottle of perfume, then also you get a 100ml bottle of body lotion. The gift set is delivered in a pretty big cardboard bow surrounded by polystyrene so you know the bottles will not become damaged in delivery.

The bottles are brown and nicely shaped not just your normal upright bottle, which I feel makes it look more attractive, I think first impressions are always important and the look of the bottle is the first thing you notice. The spray part is gold in colour while the lid that slides on top in the same colour as the bottle. To be honest I threw the lid away, I did not see the point in having to take the lid off all the time.Pricing-----------

The price of this gift set was £29.99p with a RRP of £48.01p so it is quite a huge saving you also do have £1.94 delivery charge to add onto that but its still a huge saving. To just buy the perfume on its own this would cost you for a 100ml bottle £32.99p for a 50ml bottle £30.50p and for a 30ml bottle £24.50p these are cheaper than the recommended retail prices, but now you can see why I went for the gift set as it was cheaper, so if you shop on fragrancedirect.co.uk just remember to look around the site to see if the gift sets cost less. This perfume is available in all good retailers but I doubt you would find it any cheaper anywhere else.The smell---------------

Secret Obsession is an intoxicating floral oriental fragrance with a fruity texture, exotic flowers and a sultry wood signature. When first applied the strong is pretty strong but once it settles onto the skin the smell becomes less overpowering into a nice fragrance.Secret obsession is a sweet floral with smells such as exotic plum, mace, rose de damas, jasmine, orange flower, tuberose, cashmere woods, burnt amber, vanilla and sandalwood. The smell really blends together nicely into a great smell. This perfume is also eau de parfum, which means the smell will last all night after just a couple of sprays early on. Whenever I purchase perfume I always look for the eau de parfum ones knowing that it will be more value for money, as less is needed.

Why would I recommend this perfume?------------------------------------------------------Well firstly the cheap price, then you have the fact that it really does last for ages, the smell is just divine, and is pretty strong so you will smell nice all night long. The bottle and packaging are great also. The bottle is also pretty thick glass, so I would say that it would not smash easily, although I would not recommend trying to smash it just in case it does loll.

Why would I not recommend this perfume?------------------------------------------------------------Now this is where I have trouble because I cant really think of any good reasons why not to buy this. Maybe if you want a daytime perfume then this would not be for you, as I would only recommend wearing it on nighttime. But apart from that I would say go out and buy yourself a bottle. If you still are not sure then buy a smaller bottle before you purchase the bigger bottle, but I assure you, you wont be disappointed.

Thanks for reading and rating xx

also on ciao under kineticspade x

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Highly recommended

There is so much to like about this fragrance and it is one that I wear quite a lot. One of the first things to like is the fact that it will not break the bank as you can get a 100ml for around the £25 mark which is excellent value for money in my opinion.

The second, and most important benefit, is the fact that it smells devine, there is a heavy prescence of jasmine and spice in the fragrance that blend in with the more fruity hints of plum and floral hints of rose, it is quite a heavy aroma and a little heady if you over indulge however if used sparingly it will blend into your skin to create a very pleasing and warming aroma.

It is what I would descibe as a classy scent, it does not have a cheap smell, rather it is a warm and vibrant smell and one that I'm both comfortable and confident with wearing. It is equally adept as being worn as a daytime or night time scent, plus it lasts a long time as well and certainly will last a day in the office without the need for a top up.

The packaging is quite classy as well, a brown glass bottle which tapers from a wide base to a pointed top, it makes a nice understated ornament and looks quite nice and stylish.

Given the value for money and quality of the product it is one that I recommend without hesitation.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Recommended

On Amazon a 100ml Eau De Parfume Spray is retailing at £25.74 and this is a fragrance that is well worth checking out especially at that price, it is one of those fragrances that is ideal for this time of year as the darkness draws in ever closer and the nights get colder as winter approaches.

This is a spicey little number with a heavy hint of the orient to it and I do not mean Leyton Orient either but the far east. It is a rather heavy scent and rather intoxicating with strong tones of jasmine, plum and rose in it and I find it a l scent that suits certain moods for me and at these times I find I really like the smell however if I meet someone who has rather over done it with regards to applying too much then I can find it to be a bit over powering so you do have to be careful about how liberally you douse yourself, a quick spray into the air and then walking through the spray cloud is enough for me.

The packaging is rather different, a brown glass bottle which tapers from a wide base to a pointed top and it has a certain retro feel to it. The box itself is a blend of different brown colours as well.

I like to have a bottle of this avaialble, it is not a fragrance that I would wear all of the time but it can be just right for certain occasions.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

a great buy

Calvin Klein secret obsession is an absolutely lovely perfume and one of my favourites. It comes in a really very different looking bottle which is a sort of bronze colour with a tall bronze lid, it really is a very pretty bottle.

The top notes in this perfume are Plum, Mace, and Rose damas which give a strong and very fruity smell, then when they subside you smell the middle or the heart notes which consist of Jasmine, Orange flower and Tuberose which give a lovely sweet floral smell and then your left with the base notes which are Cashmere woods, Burnt amber, Vanilla and Sandlewood, the base notes are what you are left with when both the top and middle notes where off and you can definitely smell the vanilla and the rose which give this scent a lovely depth. the smell is also very flowery, pretty and even a bit sexy and warm a real must for girly girls.

I would normally wear in the evenings as it is quite a strong smell, and think maybe it would be a bit much for in the day time.

The perfume is available in a range of different sized bottles from 30ml 50ml and 100ml and widely available at a reasonable price which range from about £20 to £35 depending on size and where purchased from.

Summary: a great buy

This review is also on ciao

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

An oriental perfume preferably for winter or an evening perfume.

A gorgeous now discontinued fragrance. However if you like the sound of it you can still get it half price in many stockists or online for around £20.00. You can buy the 100ml from the Perfume Shop for £25.00 rather than its RRP of £62.00.

It is a fragrance so different from others it is intoxicating, deep, warm and oriental. It contains jasmine, rose, amber and plum as its main ingredients. When I worked in fragrance Secret Obsession was always one which people never really went near to try and when people did many gave a look of detest after smelling it. So I thought It wasn't a popular fragrance. However working in fragrance that bit longer I found out that it is actually very popular and that it has a specific client base of people who have been buying it for years. However one lady told me she wanted a spicy fragrance with plum in and I wracked my brain and thought I'd show her it (I thought I'd get the same horrified look from her too) however she absolutely loved it. I was so pleased at this point that I could sell a bottle.

The bottle is very peculiar looking (very different from any others). It is in a brown bottle which is wide at the bottom and then thins out at the top. It almost looks like the sort of bottle you'd see 100s of years ago that would contain something like frankincense in.

I would definitely recommend this fragrance to someone who wants to bag a bargain with it being half price and someone who wants an oriental and spicy perfume. It is perhaps more a winter fragrance though because it is very powerful and strong.

My own opinion is that I wouldn't wear it myself but I can see why others would really love it. I think it is like marmite you love it or hate it!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

First published 10/26/2008 on another site

Such a welcomed contradiction to all those berry/vanilla/candy smelling "sexy" fragrances of today! I would choose the floriental Secret Obsession anytime, over all those sickenly sweet supposed-to-be-sexy-but-smells-more-like-cupcakes-straight-from-the-oven kind of scents, that so many young ladies wear all over their skin. This is grown-up-sexy, not sugar-is-kinda-sexy. It's tough love, not teen fling. It's ripe fruits with spice, not berries and icing. It's a burlesque hunter, not a flirty prey. I's dark and sultry - a come hither-scent - not childs play and peek-a-boo. Eva Mendes fits the ad for this fragrance big time: I see her personality as a confident, straight-forward, sensual, a tad "dirty", not at all a classic beauty, but with tremendously innate sexiness that stops traffic whatever she wears. She just can't help it. And on the right skintype, Secret Obsession can't help it either.

When I smelled Secret Obsession for the first time, I knew straight away that I was going to purchase - so I didn't waste any time. It remindend me at first a bit of my beloved Féminité du Bois, but a less refined version of it - and compared to eachother, they aren't much alike beside the dark edge and sultriness. But they do both work with my chemistry, and Secret Obsession is also a head-turner among men. On me it smells mostly of ripe plums, burnt sugar/caramel, orchid, and sandalwood - the vanilla is totally left out, and the rose is just a tiny hint underneath it all and binding it all together, making the whole fragrance spicier and "drier" than maybe intended.

This is not a fragrance for shy girls, or for women that can't handle true sexiness - but a fragrance for daredevils with fishnets and leather corsets (or just leather gloves at daytime) that doesn't waste time but goes straight for what they want without hesitating. This is a fragrance for a woman that won't be "handeled" by anyone. Ingredients: Exotic plum, mace, rose de Damas, jasmine, orange blossom, spicy orchid, ylang-ylang, tuberose, cashmere wood, burnt amber, vanilla, iris, sandalwood. Update: I'm an oriental-floral/woody girl. If you're a fruity-floral gal, you probably won't like this.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

treat yourself!

I'm not quite sure that I can put into words the beuty of this scent...

Calvin Klein brought out it's original Obsession in 1985, meaning it to capture the essence of 'The 1980's obsession with carnal and material gratification'. When they brought out this new version a year or so ago, they hoped to update that feeling for today, to capture the modern day meaning of 'sexy'. And I can't argue with that logic. Whenever I wear this scent I feel luxurious and sensual. In a word, I feel sexy.

The fragrance itself falls into the Oriental family, which means it uses mainly spicy notes. It means that you can expect a warm, soft, sensuous fragrance. Due to the varying alkaline levels in different people's skin, I can't describe the exact scent, as everyone is different. What I can do, is recommend that you try it, but make sure to try it on your skin, not a card. That way you will be able to follow the scent as it develops and settles.

I will however give you a hint of what to expect! The initial scent is quite sharp, and may not be to everyone's taste. After abour 10 minutes, you will lose this, as the real scent develops. The dry down is a sweet oriental, with notes of *big intake of breath*exotic plum, mace, rose de damas, jasmine, orange flower, tuberose, cashmere woods, burnt amber, vanilla and sandalwood.

My overall opinion is that is you like oriental, spicy, warm scents then this is definately for you. I absolutely adore it, and really do feel sexy when I'm wearing it!

This usually RRP'S at around £30, but if you are quick, I have noticed some offers on in the high street.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

great perfume, very distinct and seductive smell

I got this perfume as a gift for my birthday a few months ago and it quickly became one of my favourite perfumes (and I own a LOT of perfumes :p). Usually when choosing a perfume I always go off the bottle, infact when people ask me what fragrance I want for birthday/christmas I always tell them ''something in a pretty bottle'', and most of the time this method of perfume choosing works out great. So, firstly this perfume comes in a beautiful bottle, very elegant, not tacky and overly glitzy like some tend to be (though it can make it a little awkward to hold, i've dropped it dozens of times but so far no smashes). Secondly it has an amazing smell, not over powering, and a 'mature' smell because it doesn't have that florally scent like many perfumes do. I'd definitely recommend this perfume, probably more for evening than day time as it does have a rather seductive, heavy scent, but I guess sprayed lightly it's great for day time too.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A no-surprise floral oriental from Calvin Klein

Launched: 2008 Group: Floral oriental

:: Introduction ::

Being passionate about perfumery, I tend to keep an eye on new releases. When I saw Calvin Klein launch their Secret Obsession Eau de Parfum last year in an attractively looking bottle, I got hold of a sample to test.

:: The packaging ::

The packaging is a warm amber-coloured carton with brown - black smoke effects. The top half of the glass bottle is tall and slender while the bottom half has a ribbed oval shape which gives the design a 'genie lamp' look. A classic, feminine design with a playful touch.

:: The fragrance ::

Top notes: plum, nutmeg, rose

The first impressions of the spray on my skin are an attractive mixture of ripe, juicy and fairly spicy plum note blended with a woody patchouli undertone. A few minutes later a rose note develops that reminds me of the top notes of Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum, one of my favourite floriental fragrances. The notes change slightly again after about 15 minutes: they are darker and sweeter now and come with a drier, floral tone of rose.

Middle notes: jasmine, orange blossom, tuberose

A couple of hours later the heavier floral notes started to take over the composition . Of all notes the deep and creamy jasmine and a drier, woodier, more powdery powerful fragrance of tuberose that oozed into the fine mist of jasmine. As a whole, the accord was more rounded, softer with a hint of crystalline aldehydes, like freshly washed linen. It felt elegant but a little bit too simple and somewhat boring. I was disappointed by its lack of complexity and depth and that the fragrance had even less surprises than in the top phase.

Base notes: cashmere wood, vanilla, amber, sandalwood

In the final phase I detected a good 4 hours later, delightfully simple yet sensual and warm woods appeared. It was a light and tender blend that became more and more spicy with a hint of sandalwood aroma and luminescent amber shining through a vanilla scented veil. The woodiness of this fragrance was quite subtle and subdued. Despite Secret Obsession being an eau de parfum, the woody aromas did not come through strong enough for my liking.

:: Conclusion ::

I felt excited trying this fragrance as I love a floral oriental with a difference. The only plus wearing Secret Obsession Eau de Parfum for me was that it reminded me of my beloved Juicy only it wasn't not as colourful and was lacking those extra couple of notes that would have made it special. Overall, Secret Obsession is a well-blended, lovely fragrance for day and night that does grow on you Its tried and tested modern oriental recipe works well, though it never has a surprising twist that would make it different from the rest of the crowd.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A great perfume

I received Calvin Klein Secret Obsession perfume as a present last year. I was already a fan of the original Obsession perfume and of Obsession Nights, but I actually prefer this one. The bottle is absolutely beautiful, it has a lovely shape and looks fantastic on my dressing table. The smell is more subtle than the original Obsession while retaining the warm smell of that perfume. The smell is predominantly floral with oriental undertones and a slightly woody after smell. It is very wearable both as an evening perfume and for every day wear as it does not smell as over-powering as some perfumes. I have received a lot of compliments while wearing it and it makes me feel good every time I have it on. I would definitely recommend this perfume to all fans of the original Obsession perfumes and for those looking for something a bit new and different.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

an excellent addition to the ck range

I spotted this when on holiday in Florida last October. I was initially taken by the bottle which is dark brown and an unusual shape. I love the distinctive but unusual fragrance. I wear it daily but it is also suitable for an evening perfume. When i returned to work several of my colleagues commented on my new "smell". At first I was telling them that they wouldn't be albe to buy it in the shops here as I was sure it was available in the USA only - so you can imagine how pleased I was to find out that it is freely available within the united kingdom as well. Unlike Obsession this perfume is not so string that it catches your throat but is quite subtle. As with most of the frangrances by calvin klein I would say that it is a mid priced perfume - cheap enought to be affordable but expensive enough to be decent. One of my all time favourites